Faculty News: Public Health

Jennifer Dowd and colleague published, in the American Journal of Public Health, "Physical Health Effects of the Housing Boom: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study." This study exploited geographic and time variation in housing price appreciation as a natural experiment to estimate the health effects of the dramatic run-up in housing wealth from 1992 to 2006. Results showed that rising home values were associated with improved health in middle-aged and older adults as measured by fewer functional limitations, better performance on physical performance tests, and smaller waist circumference.

Nick Freudenberg was a moderator of the public health panel at the "Superstorm Sandy: Are We Ready for the Next One?" conference at the Graduate Center on May 29. The event featured environmental and climate scientists, emergency and health management specialists, and community advocates. Participants included Dr. William Solecki, professor of geography and director, Institute for Sustainable Cities, Hunter College, and cochair, Mayor’s Panel on Climate Change; and Dr. William J. Fritz, professor of geology and interim president, College of Staten Island. The public health panel included Dr. Irwin Redlener from the Columbia University Center on Disaster Preparedness, Professor Jack Caravanos from Hunter and the CUNY School of Public Health, and Kate McKenzie, director of policy and government relations for City Harvest.